Bracelet telephone device

ABSTRACT

The device ( 1 ) comprises a mobile telephone apparatus/wireless telephone terminal ( 2 ) mounted in a fixed or removable way to a bracelet support ( 3 ) having a portion ( 5 ) wherein are housed electric supply batteries for supplying power to the device ( 1 ). The telephone apparatus ( 2 ) has a front panel ( 2   a ) with keyboard, presentation display and microphone ( 4 ), the apparatus ( 2 ) having preferably its larger dimension (T) oriented obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction (P) of the bracelet ( 3 ). A ring-shape part ( 8 ) intended to be coupled to one finger of the user hand is removable with respect to the apparatus and supports an earphone ( 9 ) for the said apparatus ( 2 ) to which it is connected by an extensible electric cable ( 10 ) or by radio.

This application is a national stage application, according to ChapterII of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This application claims th prioritydate of Jun. 11, 1997 for Spanish Patent Application No. U 9701634.

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a new telephone device, suitable to becoupled to the user's wrist, with the comfort which it involves, andendowed with multiple advantages related to the devices already known,up to the present date, all of them enabling to obtain an apparatus ofthe reduced size and weight which provide the desired objectives ofcomfortable transport and easy use.

One of the main cores of development of new products in the matter ofmovable telephony and wireless telephony terminals, is directed to areduction of its weight and size, so as to provide, in this way,instruments which are more comfortable to use and to carry.

At the moment, the reduction of the size and the weight of thoseinstruments is strictly based on the electronic and electrical aspects,such as on the one hand the miniaturization of electronic components andon the other hand the increment of the charge capacity of the feedingelectrical batteries, which enable day after day a considerablereduction of the size of apparatus of movable telephony of wirelesstelephony terminals, without decreasing its power, fidelity and autonomyperformances. Nevertheless, the reduction of the size and weightoriginated by these factors is very expensive since it needs a highbasic research cost.

There is then a technical need to reach a reduction of the size andreduction of the weight of those instruments, so that they are morecomfortable to use and to carry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is based on the knowledge that an additionalreduction of size and/or easier use and transport, may also be reachedby means of an appropriated functional disposition of the differentelements which form these instruments, i.e. of its operation keyboard,viewing display and feeding batteries, so that they can be a part of thebracelet portable device.

According to the invention, this object is reached by means of atelephone device with a movable telephone apparatus/wireless telephoneterminal coupled to a bearing with the shape of bracelet for the wristof the user characterized, according to its first claim, in that:

at least a portion of the bracelet bearing includes, or is itself,an/several electrical battery/ies to feed the said apparatus;

the movable telephone apparatus/wireless telephone terminal, is mountedupon the bracelet bearing, so that being coupled upon the user's wrist,its front panel with its operation keyboard, presentation display/iesand microphone are directed to the outside, so the said panel may beactivated and may be observed and by means of the turning of the user'swrist its microphone will be placed in front of the mouth of the user;and

removably asociated to the housing of the movable telephoneapparatus/wireless telephone terminal there is provided a ring shapedpiece, which can be coupled to a user's finger, which carries theearphone of the said apparatus and which is connected to it, by means ofan extensible wire of electrical connection, or by radio.

According to an additional feature, according to the second claim, thebracelet bearing has extensible portions and/or fitting and closingmecanisms for a fitted coupling and comfortable to the wrist of theuser.

According to another feature of the invention, according to the thirdclaim, the movable telephone apparatus/wireless telephone terminal hasan oblong disposition and is arranged with its main symmetry axe inoblique form related to the longitudinal axe of the wrist bearing,preferibly with an inclination of 45°, so that the useful lenght of itsfront is as big as possible without exceeding the widhtwise of theuser's wrist.

Moreover, according to the invention, the keyboard, with buttons ordigital, is disposed on the periphery of the apparatus so as to allowthe use of the whole of its front surface as a display.

Aditionally, the aditional apparatus, for example, watch, compass,alarm, micro-computer, remote control, G-P.S. receiver, digitalrecorder, pedometer or is similar are disposed upon the bearing braceleton the opposite side to the said telephone apparatus.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear clearer fromthe following description, carried out with the assistance of theappended drawings which show an example of performance non limiting, andin which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows schematically a perspective view of a device according tothe invention as it would be disposed for its use upon the wrist of theuser.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic and partial plant view of the deviceaccording to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an elevation view of the device according to the figure andon the same position as in this.

FIG. 4 illustrates a similar view of the previous one but with optionaladitional apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND BEST MODE

With reference to the figures, it can be seen that the telephone device1 according to the invention consists of a movable telephoneapparatus/wireless telephone terminal 2 which is fixely or movablymounted upon a bracelet bearing 3.

The apparatus 2 consists of a front 2 a with an operation keyboard,presentation/visualization display and a microphone 4; although on apreferred performance, the keyboard, as it is pointed out with 2 b, isplaced on the periphery outline of apparatus 2. This apparatus 2, as itis specially clearly illustrated on FIG. 1, is mounted upon the braceletbearing 3 in such a way that when the device is coupled to the wrist ofa user, the keyboard, display and microphone 4 of its front 2 a areaccessible to the user with a simple turn of his wrist.

The bracelet bearing 3, has portions or sections 5 which include, or arethemselves, electrical battery/ies to feed the telephone apparatus 2,omitting for description simplicity reasons and of representation, theconnexion details of the said battery/ies with the apparatus 2.Moreover, the bracelet bearing 3 has extensible sections 6 andoptionally fitting and closing mecanisms 7 to reach a fitted andcomfortable coupling to the user's wrist.

Making now special reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen that there isprovided a ring shaped piece 8, which is removably asociated to thehousing of the telephone apparatus 2, for bearing the earphone 9 of thesaid telephone apparatus 2, so that the said ring may be fitted to oneof the user's ring so as to position the said earphone faced to the earof the user, as necessary. This earphone 9 may be connected to itstelephone apparatus 2 by means of an extensible electrical wire 10, orby radio, and have the appropriated anatomic shape for its coupling tothe auditive pavilion.

As it can be seen in a specially clear manner on FIGS. 1 and 2, thetelephone apparatus 2 has an oblong form, for example, oval, and ismounted upon the bracelet bearing 3, so that its greatest dimension, inthis case its greatest symmetry axe T is oblique to the longitudinal axeP of the bracelet bearing 3; according to the invention it is preferredthat this inclination has 45°. With this simple measure, it isguaranteed that the usable lenght of the telephone apparatus is as bigas possible without exceeding the widhtwise of the user's wrist.

Making now particular reference to FIG. 4, it can be seen thatoppositely to the telephone apparatus 2, other apparatus 11, such as,for example, a watch, a compass, an alarm, a G.P.S. receiver, a digitalrecorder, a micro-computer, a remote control, a pedometer or similar,can be optionally mounted upon the bracelet bearing 3.

Optionally, keyboard 2 b may be endowed with devices for differencedconfirmation of the orders carried out by acoustic signal transmitters,including the artificial voice ones.

The telephone apparatus 2, as well as the options 11, may be endowedwith joints, membranes and/or sealling filters to provide tightnessproperties to the assembly liquids.

Ring 8 may be rigid or flexible, and the associated earphone 9components may be entirely incorporated therein or a part of them beingcontained on the inside of the said ring 8; being also possible that thesaid earphone 9 is joined to it permanently, what is specially preferredfor a connexion by radio, or being formed in such a way that they can becoupled/removed with each other for the connexion case by means of theextensible wiring 10. In this case, the connexion electrical wiringbetween the earphone 9 and the apparatus 2, may be housed on a housingappropriatly provided on the said apparatus 2.

As the object of the invention has been sufficiently described it onlylasts to point out that the embodiments resulting from changes of theform, use of mechanical elements and/or electrical equivalents, as wellas the derivatives of a routine application of the previously revealed,must be considered included inside its scope, in such a way that theinvention will only be limited by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. New bracelet telephone device, consisting of amovable telephone apparatus/wireless telephone terminal (2) coupled to abearing with the shape of bracelet (3) for the wrist of the user andwhich can also hold other apparatus (11) such as a watch, compass,calculator, micro-computer, G-P.S. receiver, alarm, digital recorder,remote control, pedometer or similars, characterized in that: at least aportion (5), and preferibly several, of the bearing or bracelet (3)include, or is/are it/themselves, an electrical battery/ies to feed theaforementioned apparatus (2, 11); the movable telephoneapparatus/wireless telephone terminal (2) is mounted fixely or movablyupon the bearing or bracelet (3), so that its front panel (2 a) with itsoperation keyboard, screen and microphone (4) is directed to theoutside, so that when device (1) is coupled to the user's wrist, thesaid keyboard (2 a) may be activated and by means of the turning of theuser's wrist its microphone (4) can be operatively placed in front ofthe mouth of the user; and removably asociated to the housing of themovable telephone apparatus/wireless telephone terminal (2) there isprovided a ring shaped piece (8), which can be coupled to a user'sfinger, which carries the earphone (9) of the said apparatus (2) andwhich is connected to it by means of an extensible connexion wire (10)or by radio, in such a way that the said earphone (9) may be operativelyfacing the user's ear and, eventually, being adapted to the auditivepavilion by its anatomic shape.